FINAL TRIAL

[petoskeymods]

FINAL TRIAL

And now, you know the truth. Who's behind everything, and why.

And the question that hangs in the air now is - what's next?

It's noon when you all go down to the firepit, the sun hanging bright in the air. Red is there, seated calmly, watching all of you - and Archer is standing up, looking imposing.

It's time to talk.

CAMPERS REMAINING: 7

((REMEMBER: every living camper needs 15 comments minimum in this post to qualify for 'good end'!))

Comments

[backspacing]

[And with that, Red finally moves to do her part.

There's a flicker of light that everyone should be familiar with by now, and then a bunch of bodies end up dumped on the ground. They're human bodies, but anatomically they look like a mannequin right now. No hair, no gender characteristics, and so on. There's enough for each dead person from this year's camp to get one.]

This is what I was up to the last week. I had to call in a few favors, but this should be enough for everyone.

These are called a 'gigai'. Once a soul enters them, the body changes to match what that soul expects it should look like. You'll retain most of your powers too, though sometimes there are hiccups in the transfer process.

The only catch is that Archer and I can't put souls into them. It takes special powers to do so, and we don't have them. Everyone here will have to figure out how to put the souls into the bodies to make them work.

Of course, like Archer said, you can simply let your soul return to your own world too if you would prefer that. But for anyone who wants to stay here, you'll need to work out how to get into a body.

[Surely someone here has a power related to that, yes?]

[killtheanimals]

[Red you're the best even if you gave him a shitty agent username.]

...Thank you.

[She really did pull through.]

[fallbymyhands]

Marona. . .

[but she's dead, isn't she?]

[soylentprotag]

... Ichigo worked with the souls of the dead. I know Kon was also a soul. They might be able to tell us more about how to make it work.

[He hasn't gotten all the way to thinking that the twins could do anything about it, but if they're around like the rest of the dead, maybe they can find some furry information?]

[fallbymyhands]

But they're also. . . [dead]

If we need them to transfer the souls to the gigai to rescue the dead, then how do we make use of their abilities when they're out of reach?

[lovecolored]

I take it askin' Sol nicely to let the two of 'em go is outta the question.

[fallbymyhands]

I worry about what may happen to them if they do let them go. After all, we were told by the dead that if Sol releases them now, they disappear.

[which. . . apparently means going back home, but. . .]

[killtheanimals]

I can't do anything with souls that would be useful now.

[Though he does glance Nine's way briefly.]

Ichigo was a shinigami. He might be our best option. [Given... the dead.]

[summeranimals]

[ Shoulder squirrel is clearly agitated by now, its little paws digging very tightly into Mitsuru's clothes. ]

[killtheanimals]

[Ah. He looks over curiously.]

What is it?

[Is this a bodies thing or a something else thing.]

[fallbymyhands]

Hm. . .?

[following his gaze]

Nine?

[summeranimals]

[A crow lands on Lenka's shoulder.]

I wouldn't - there's too many issues on doing it by myself. There's so many spirits here that if Sol lets go, I might be drawn into leaving too.

[soylentprotag]

Ichigo...?

[He's going to assume that's who he's talking to here. And apparently by this point in the trial he's just gotten used to having everything land on him, because all he does is give a brief blink before going on.]

How would you be drawn into leaving? Would you go back where you came from?

[linearcrash]

Is there a way for the shinigami to take over a body, hey? [ A pause. ] Anyone know which animal is Ichigo?

[le_mat]

We don't have anyone here that can manipulate souls though... if Sol lets them go they'll just go home, right?

[backspacing]

Yes, and that is the hard part. We need a way to transfer the souls.

[homeecspacecop]

That isn't enough for everyone. [Chuuta says, quietly.]

That's just enough for this year's campers.

[backspacing]

...I couldn't get enough for all of them.

[homeecspacecop]

S-so some of us... most of us are going to 'die'. I know Archer keeps saying we'll go back home, but I don't think he can really prove it.

[killtheanimals]

[Just kinda

watching

Don't bully Red, Chuuta.]

[le_mat]

Red...

Worse comes to it, someone else can have mine. You said yourself this body has a few years left on it.

[backspacing]

That would be passing the problems you currently have onto someone else. Do you really want to do that?

[fallbymyhands]

. . . Kokonose. . .

If Archer is right, that shouldn't matter. The souls we release will return home.

[homeecspacecop]

If he's right! [If. If. That's a huge if, and Chuuta doesn't want to stake his friends lives on it.]

We don't know if he's right or not!

[fallbymyhands]

[hesitation. . .]

I believe that he is.

[oh?]

The people we know who were brought here for past rounds. None of us realized they were missing, did we?